


Outskirts of Paradise

by melonnboy



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: !!!!, Eren Is a Little Shit, Fluff, I Don't Even Know, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Interns & Internships, Is that a thing, M/M, Nonbinary Hange Zoë, Slow Burn, animals!!!, erwin is a vet, hell yeah, jean is just jean, wildlife centre au?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-19 04:43:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13697097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melonnboy/pseuds/melonnboy
Summary: Eren loves nature.His passion for wildlife lands him a 6 month internship at Stohess Wildlife Center, where the air is fresh and the geese are truly terrifying.He makes friends, enemies (lol, it's just Jean what did u expect), and finds companionship in the heart of a short, cold man, who also happens to be his supervisor and a bit of an ass.There's also a spooky forest somewhere in here, so stay tuned for some on-the-side spooks I guess?





	1. I Don't Mean to be Impolite

**Author's Note:**

> HELLO.  
> Thank you for taking even a second of your day to consider reading this. I've never posted any of my works before, but why not start now? I dropped out of uni so there's no time like the present amiright ladies,,, [K I L L M E]  
> Anywho, I've always loved writing, so I thought it might be fun to take some characters i like and make them do shit.
> 
> I hope you marginally enjoy this? ily  
> Also this - http://0w0w0w0w0.tumblr.com/- is my tumblr!!! Feel free to check it out and then regret it later bc its just shitty memes 
> 
> Also the chapter titles and fic title is from a song by Bad Suns called Outskirts of Paradise. THEYRE AMAZING CHECK EM OUT

Ducks.

Ducks everywhere.

Upon arrival to the Stohess Wildlife Centre and Hospital, the first thing Eren notices is the absurd amount of free range birds wandering around the lawn. Not only ducks, though. Swans, chickens, geese – he thinks he catches glimpses of one or two peacocks as well.  
Not to mention the four massive dogs currently pawing at the hood of his car, no doubt leaving mud and saliva stains all over the red painted exterior. With a huff somewhere between amusement and annoyance, Eren brakes, rolls down the window, pokes his head through the opening, and lays on the horn.  
Before his fellow passengers and soon to be interns can deter him, Eren does what he does best; he opens his mouth.

“Oi, you big shits, my car’s ugly enough without you fucking it up.”

Releasing the horn, Eren continues to shout obscenities at the seemingly oblivious dogs. Armin, quietly stewing in the seat behind Eren, begins punching his loud friend’s headrest in a tired attempt to shut him up.  
With Eren shouting, Armin ghost boxing with the seat in front of him, and a pack of dirty dogs whining, and now climbing, onto the hood of the car, the third and final passenger turns the radio up, up, and up until the Honda is quaking with the power of orchestral music. She then exits the car and begins to trek up the narrow driveway to the large farmhouse, situated directly beside the animal shelter. After five long hours crammed in the passenger seat of that shit box, Mikasa has barely enough energy and patience to avoid slipping on the mud-covered road, much less dealing with her idiot friends.

Noticing her absence, Eren abruptly ceases shouting in favour of turning off the radio and swatting Armin's fists away from his headrest. Sighing, he honks once more, and attempts inching his car up the driveway at a slow crawl; he would normally throw all caution to the wind and punch it up the hill, but there are fucking birds everywhere and a beast of a dog sitting on his hood, so he settles for caution. Just this once.  
The beast eventually launches itself off of the car, about two seconds before Eren approaches the end of the drive. There are three other cars parked between the shelter and the bright yellow farm house. A porch wraps around the outside of the house, sporting potted plants, quaint loveseats, and wooden bench swings. The lot in its entirety is beautiful; perched on the edge of a dense and shadowy forest, both the shelter and house welcome a warm and homey feeling, one that Eren was only ever able to associate with the two people accompanying him on this internship. Associating these feelings with an object, one as superficial as a house, unsettles him. Yet, when approaching these buildings, warm, homey, and _safe_ are the only feelings he can truthfully recognize.

Parking the car, Armin and Eren extract themselves from the Honda, thighs sticky and red from being glued the leather seats for so long. Despite October being well on its way, the summer heat holds strong; being the designated summer child of the trio, this wouldn’t typically be a problem for Eren.  
Naturally, a problem presents itself in the form of a rusty Honda Hatchback, with peeling red paint and a broken muffler. The air conditioner – also broken – prevents even the slightest notion of comfort and relaxation as soon as the Hatchback doors open.

Eren's car is, essentially, a loud and obnoxiously red coffin in the summer.

Opening the trunk, Eren grabs the two duffel bags he'd shoved his life into just this morning - six months worth of it - and walks with his friends to the house. As soon as the last step groans under Armin's light weight, the front door slams open, making Armin jump back with a yelp of surprise.  
Standing in the doorway is an average sized woman, clad in a tank top and cargo shorts, manically smiling down at the three shocked interns. Her eyes are hidden behind large glasses, and her tied up hair sways in what little breeze comes through the door, framing her face with dancing brown strands.  
“Hello, hello! You must be the last three interns we’ll be having this term!” She steps down from the doorway, smile unwavering, and extends a hand to each of them. “I’m Hanji, and this is my house! You’ll be staying here for the duration of this internship, but I’m sure you figured that out on your own”, she says with a nod toward each of their respective bags. Her handshake is firm and sure, almost crushing in its enthusiasm.

“Hi!” Armin moves up to introduce the trio, realizing the other two are about as likely to make civilized conversation as a rock is to grow legs and run a marathon. “My name is Armin Arlert, and it’s great to meet you.” Erin rolls his eyes. Mikasa elbows his ribs, a disapproving frown tugging at the corners of her mouth.  
Armin gestures towards his friends, clearing his throat. “These are my friends, Eren and Mikasa. They’re also super excited, and polite, and happy, and –” The list went on, Armin slowly turning to face them with his teeth clenched and a warning glint in his eyes. When he wanted to, Armin could be fucking terrifying.  
After an awkward pause that seemed to last for hours, Hanji leads the trio into the cool embrace of her air conditioned ( _oh hell yes_ ) house.

\---

The interior of the farmhouse is just as quaint and adorable as the outside. Paintings of plants and animals adorn the walls, as well as a clock made of spoons that hangs in the kitchen. Eren particularly likes this adornment. He thinks if he ever had a permanent residence, most likely one shared between his trio of friends, that he’d definitely decorate it with cheesy shit like that. Shit that just begs for attention. Anyway, he’d gladly give all of his attention to a rusty spoon clock, if it means foregoing the alternative (the alternative being the dark shadow of his past, or something like that).

The three of them had walked around the house, peaking into closets and opening cabinets to their hearts content; Hanji encouraged their borderline inappropriate display of curiosity. The way she followed them around and peaked over their shoulders might have seemed intimidating at first, but her eyes screamed “ _Have you checked this drawer???? How about this one???_ ”, when leading them around. By the time they’d made it to their respective bedrooms, Eren's hands were raw with the effort of gripping his duffel bags for so long.

Now, he sits perched on his bed. The bed he’ll be sleeping in for the next six months, in the room he’ll call his, with the vanity and dresser and closet he’ll keep his things in. The walls are a light blue colour, matching the comforter and pillow cases. It’s a nice colour. Eren imagines himself taking naps in this room, on this bed, surrounded by walls the colour of the sky, and it’s not a bad thought.

The farmhouse has three floors; the first houses the kitchen, family room, and dining room. The second consists of Hanji's bedroom, a couple bathrooms, and a TV room. The third floor, renovated to house a total of six interns, has exactly six bedrooms and two bathrooms. Eren has a feeling that two bathrooms may fall a bit short, but he remains hopeful that the other three interns are reasonable people, with reasonable bathroom agendas. The other bedrooms on this floor, save the wall colour, are furnished exactly the same as his. A short walk down a narrow, creaky hallway, with three bedrooms on each side, and a bathroom on either end; this will be his living space for the next six months. It’s a bit strange to think about, for some reason.

If one were to stand at the top of the stairs, Mikasa's room would be the first to their right, immediately followed by Armin's, and lastly, Eren's room. The doors on the other side of the hallway have remained closed since their arrival; Eren isn’t sure he wants to know who or what are behind them.

Interpersonal interactions have never been his strong spot. He knows this. He can be hotheaded, impulsive, and snappy. He also knows this. As a general rule, he keeps himself from feeling bad by remembering that people suck, and it’s not his fault they drive him insane. To reiterate, people seriously _suck_.

Feeling the need to be in the company of his favourite people, Eren decides to make the short trip next door to Armin's room. 

Just as Eren's long strides reach the strip of hallway directly outside of his room, he quite literally smacks into some jackass with a fucking nest of blonde hair. Said jackass, now staring directly into his eyes with something akin to anger gracing his – horsey? – features, starts talking, much to Eren's chagrin. “Hey man, maybe watch where you’re going next time.” Horseface – yeah, Eren likes that – crosses his arms and lifts his chin, eyes still locked with Eren's. Of course, he has the _audacity_ to blame Eren for this; he seems like just the type. The type of person that spends hours looking at himself in the mirror, maybe feeling his biceps, maybe kissing them occasionally. He probably gets off to the idea of himself. Gross.

Eren mirrors the horse's stance, noting their similar heights. He could still knock him out, if need be. No problem. “Last time I checked, I had functioning eyes. Eyes that I actually use, unlike yourself,” Eren, quite literally, grits this out. “Actually, my bad, do horses have good eyesight?”. He can almost feel his mother rolling her dead eyes in her grave; she always did hate how mouthy he could get. _Sorry, mom._

Horseface scoffs, but Eren can see his jaw clenching at his words. He smirks. “Okay, first of all, my eyes work just fine.” Horseface's hands fall to his sides, fists clenched. He then points at Eren's face, finger mere millimeters from his nose – _this fucking guy_ – and flares his nostrils. “Secondly, you better watch it.” He turns on his heel, but immediately changes his mind and faces Eren again, finger back in his face. “And I don’t look like a fucking horse, _Jesus Christ_.”

Happy he’d hit a nerve, Eren relaxes his shoulders and smiles, actually smiles, knowing he should probably shut up, but also knowing that’s not going to happen. He brings his thumb and forefinger up to pinch his chin, feigning deep thought. “Hm, you know, you’re right.” He releases his chin and smiles wider. “I’d say you look more like a donkey, actually.”

Eren sees the anger flash across his face, eyes narrowing, just before strong hands shove his shoulders into the wall behind him, momentarily knocking the air from his lungs.

_Seriously mom, I tried. So sorry._

Grabbing the red colour of Horse – or donkey? – face's shirt, Eren shoves him back, sending them both careening toward the opposite wall. The sound of his rival's back slamming into the plaster must have been loud, because mere seconds later, all of the remaining doors within the hallway are swinging open.

“Jean, what’s going on?”

The first to speak is a freckled, gentle-looking man. He walks toward them, his room being closest to the commotion, with an almost exasperated look on his face. _So, his name is Jean, huh_? Jean whips around to meet the freckled man, his features softening a little, but the anger continues to strain his voice.

“This fucking –”, he pauses, no doubt trying to come up with an insulting enough name to throw at Eren, “- _punk_ ,” – Eren snorts – “doesn’t have functioning eyes, or something…and he called me a fucking donkey, Marco.” The freckled man – Marco? – sighs, and turns to face Eren, effectively ignoring Jean's whining.

Eren can see Mikasa and Armin, looking unimpressed, leaning against the wall a few meters away from the three men. Another man – a fucking _unit_ of a man, for one – is slowly making his way toward them, his smile slightly unnerving, almost predatory. Definitely amused, but also seriously creepy, yikes. So much for reasonable floormates.

Marco extends his hand to Eren, a tight smile on his lips. “Hi! I’m Marco, and I guess you’ve met Jean already.” Marco rolls his eyes, smile relaxing a little. “He’s just tired. Long drive, and all…He’s not usually like this.” His voice turns into a whisper as he says this, his words earning him a gentle, almost fond shove from Jean. His face seems to have relaxed; Marco must be Jea'ns friend, or something. They seem too familiar to have met only hours ago.

Erin scratches the back of his neck after shaking Marco's hand, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. “Yeah, um, hi. I’m Eren. I, uh, probably shouldn’t have called him a donkey, so it’s all good.” Despite his words, Eren doesn’t regret calling Jean a donkey, will probably never regret calling Jean a donkey, and will definitely seek out any opportunity in the future to call Jean a donkey.

Just as Jean rolls his eyes and mutters something under his breath, the blonde beast of a man with the creepy smile reaches them, a hand clapping onto Marco's shoulder, startling the freckled man.

Eren sizes the big man up; he's got at least a foot on Eren, but height won't matter if he just  _goes for the knees_ \- "Eren?"

Jerking out of his thoughts, Eren looks up to see a relaxed and smiling Marco, a grumpy looking Jean, and no dead bodies. Huh. Mikasa and Armin have disappeared, presumably to continue packing; unfortunately, beast-man hasn't budged, smiling down at him like Eren hadn't just been staring intently at his knees for like, ten seconds  _at least_. 

"This is Reiner. He can bench press a horse, apparently." Marco rolls his eyes again, and Eren takes the unintentional bait without even blinking.

"I mean, I could bench press Jean too. He probably weighs, like, two pounds soaking wet."

The second the slight slips from his tongue, Eren can feel the rage rolling off of Jean in waves.

Expecting a punch in the jaw, Eren is almost pleasantly surprised to hear the raucous laughter erupting from Reiner, before a giant hand slaps his back. With a cough, Eren looks up at Reiner, and realizes just how damn harmless this man is. His smile is purely out of amusement and genuine happiness, and his strong arms are almost gentle in how they pat Eren's back and rest across his shoulders in endearment. 

A nervous chuckle escapes Marco's lips before he's nodding at Reiner and Eren, effectively dismissing himself and a fuming Jean from the conversation. Marco wraps a hand around Jeans bicep and pulls him toward what Eren assumes is his room, shutting the door gently behind them. That leaves Eren and Friendly the Giant alone in the narrow hallway; Eren shuffles his feet and dreads the inevitable small talk to come.  _Where are spontaneous nosebleeds when you need them?_

"So," Reiner starts, releasing Erin from his hold and placing his hands on his hips. "You like jazz?"

\---

 As it turns out, Reiner wasn't just regurgitating an overused meme; he was genuinely curious as to whether Eren liked jazz or not. Eren doesn't really give a shit about jazz, but he only shrugged at the question and followed Reiner to his room.

The sight currently resting before his eyes is shocking, to say the least.

Covering the walls of Reiner's room are posters and record covers from - you guessed it - jazz albums and concerts. A few posters have only a saxophone, shiny and reflective in all its jazzy glory. At the foot of Reiner's bed, resting on a pillow, lies an  _actual_ saxophone. It's not as shiny as the ones in the posters across from it, but it looks well-worn and loved, which is almost nicer.

Reiner crosses the space from the doorway to the bed in two strides, and in one smooth motion, positions the saxophone strap around his neck and shoulders. With one final smile in Eren's general direction, Reiner takes a deep breath, brings the instrument to his lips and -  _holy shit._

He's good.  _He's really good._

Eren remains completely still, worried even the quietest of breaths could break Reiner out of his melodic trance. He'd never paid much attention to instruments like this, but listening to Reiner making this  _music_ has Eren questioning the integrity of his shitty Spotify playlists. He fights the urge to close his eyes and numb all of his other senses, to feel the notes floating through the room and surrounding him.

In the end, Reiner plays a few songs and laughs at Eren's dumbstruck expression, patiently answering every question thrown at him, and humbly accepting Eren's praise. He lets Eren hold the instrument, explains the functions of each button and tube; he even encourages Eren to try the saxophone out for himself.

After producing a few less than pleasant noises, Reiner simply laughs and, essentially, gives Eren a lesson in the art of making half-decent music with a tenor saxophone. 

At least an hour passes in Reiner's small bedroom, the two men laughing and exchanging stories; Eren is surprised, to say the least, at how comfortable he feels in Reiner's presence. The large man tells him of his hometown, of his family, and of his instant love for Hanji's giant dogs. Eren had almost completely forgotten about those monsters. 

"So, you're telling me, you're studying to become a chiropractor? For horses?" Eren laughs. Having migrated to the carpeted floor, snacking on leftover gummy worms from Reiner's commute, they talk about their studies. For example, chiropractic science. For horses. Eren hadn't even realized horses needed help with that kind of thing, but he only giggles as Reiner explains this 'complex and intricate form of science'. 

"Okay, jackass, what are you doing with your life then?" Reiner asks, crossing his arms and pouting slightly. Eren clears his throat, a pathetic attempt to stifle his giggles, turning to face Reiner with his hands clasped in his lap. 

"With my life? No fucking clue." Eren rips a gummy worm in half with his teeth before continuing, licking his sugar coated lips. "I'm studying wildlife biology over at Trost, though. Not sure what that'll lead to, but who knows? Maybe I'll get eaten by a bear before I need to make that decision." Eren snorts, finishing his worm and wiping his hands on his jeans. "I mean, that's the best case scenario right there."

There's a knock on the door frame behind Eren, drawing the attention of both men in the room. Hanji, peaking in with another of her enthusiastic smiles, wears an apron covered in patchwork cats and dogs. She leans against the frame and claps her hands together. "Gentlemen! Dinner is ready whenever you are. Preferably now, it took me all of four _minutes_ to put that pizza in the oven, I'd hate for all of that _hard work_ to go to waste." With a parting wink, she disappears down the stairs again.

Before Eren can even shift his numb ass off of the carpet, Reiner is bounding through the door and stumbling down the stairs, the wonderful notion of pizza at the forefront of his brain.

With a contented sigh, Eren pretty much does the same thing.

\---

 The dining room table is huge and seriously glossy. It almost makes Eren reluctant to breathe too close to the surface, afraid it might spontaneously combust. It wouldn't be the first time he'd destroyed something nice, in all honesty. 

The pizza is pretty good, aside from the occasional diced pineapple escaping Eren's notice and finding its way into his mouth -  _a fucking travesty -_ instead of Armin's plate. Armin likes pineapple on his pizza. He's just strange like that.

Two slices in, Hanji clears her throat and smacks the table a couple times for good measure. Satisfied all eyes are on her, she smiles and drops a stack of paper beside her plate. The glasses shake at the abrupt contact, and a fair amount of orange juice sloshes out of Eren's cup and onto his plate, forming a small, sad, orange puddle. He stares at it for a few seconds before returning his attention to Hanji, still smiling. 

Jean's eyebrows furrow. "What are those for?"

He's seated directly across from Eren, with Reiner and Marco on either side of him. Eren buries the urge to kick Jean's bony shins under the table, instead resting his folded arms in front of his plate.

Hanji beams at the question, no doubt hoping someone would ask. "Well, Jean, since you asked, I suppose I can fill you in."

Plucking the top sheet from the stack of papers, she shows it to the interns gathered around her table. "These are your schedules for your first month here! Well, this one in particular is -" Hanji looks more closely at the paper before continuing. "-Marco's! Here ya go, kid."

Hanji passes the paper to Marco, then proceeds to pass the remaining sheets to their respective interns. Examining his schedule, Eren is pleasantly surprised. He'd expected lots of cleaning, and there's definitely _lots_ of it. Cleaning habitats and cages and equipment, stuff like that. But the pleasant part, something he hadn't expected, is the ward he's been assigned to - birds. 

 _I. Love. Birds._  

"I love birds," He whispers, cradling the schedule in his hands like it might shatter any second.

Hearing Eren mumbling to himself, Armin leans over to take a look at his friend's schedule. With a laugh and a gentle nudge with his shoulder, Armin points to his own page. 

"Of course you would get assigned to the bird ward. Too bad, I'll be in the aquatic animal ward so I won't get to  _grace_ you with my presence." Armin says, making a ridiculous pouty face while slowly dragging his pointer finger from his left eye, all the way down his left cheek.  _Ass._

Jean's head shoots up to glare at Eren from across the table, placing his schedule on his lap. "Wait, wait a minute, did you just say something about the bird ward? Who else is in the bird ward?" 

With that, Erens semi-happy bubble bursts the fuck open.  _Of course_ he would get stuck with Jean for a whole month. The world has always hated Eren, why stop now?

Hearing their conversation from the head of the table, Hanji takes the opportunity to jump in before anyone can say anything else. "You know what? I don't really know much about you kids, aside from your names and birthdays, stuff like that." She taps her chin a few times with her pointer finger, her face breaking into another thousand watt smile. "How about we go around the table, and everyone has to say their full name, area of study, and assigned ward? I'll go first." 

Clearing her throat and straightening her back, Hanji starts introducing herself. Eren contemplates faking his own death.

"My name is Hanji Zoe, I double-majored in zoology and biology at Trost U, and my ward is the entire shelter, cos' it's mine." She laughs, then clears her throat once more. "Also, my pronouns are they/them, so it would be awesome if you guys could try using those." 

Hanji's smile never faulters, so Eren assumes they've given this small speech many times in the past. Looking around at his fellow interns, Eren is relieved to see them smiling or nodding in acceptance; punching bigots has never been below him, but he'd rather not break any noses at the dinner table. He does have standards, after all.

Armin is seated directly to Hanji's left, so he's up next, directly followed by Eren (unfortunately).

"Hello! My name is Armin Arlert. I'm currently majoring in marine biology at Trost U, and I've been assigned to the aquatic animal ward!" Eren rolls his eyes at Armin's good boy act, knowing just how  _sinful and evil_ that small man can be. Running a hand through his hair, Eren inwardly screams before starting his introduction.

"Uh, hey, I'm Eren. Eren Jaeger. I'm currently studying wildlife biology, also at Trost U. I'll be working with the birds this month, I guess." He looks up to see Jean glaring at him- a common occurrence, it seems. 

Mikasa's introduction takes all of two seconds, never one to waste her breath on silly things. The other interns seem surprised by her major in astrophysics. Regardless of her program, this placement is an extra few credits, and Mikasa would never pass up an opportunity to follow her companions around like a guard dog.

Eren doesn't miss the way Jean's eyes linger on Mikasa's face before turning toward Marco.  _Hah, never going to happen, Horseface._

With red cheeks and a nervous cough, Marco stutters out an introduction. "I'm Marco Bodt, I'm studying to become a veterinarian, and I've been assigned to the small rodent ward," He finishes with a warm smile, obviously pleased with his placement. Eren's not gonna deny it, Marco is _fuckin adorable._ He just wants to wrap him in a blanket and make him hot chocolate. _Too bad such a sweetheart is stuck being friends with Dipshit the Horseman._

Jean is a chemist, which is unsurprising for some reason, and Reiner is, of course, a horse chiropractor. He attempts explaining his area of study, which, really, only leads to further confusion and an onslaught of friendly jabs.

Before dismissing them for bed, Hanji tells the interns about what to expect the following day. Holding a framed photo of what Eren assumes is them and their coworkers, Hanji points people out, giving the faces names.

"The tall, blonde man with crazy eyebrows is Erwin Smith, our resident vet! And this guy over here, with the stupid mustache, that's Mike. He doesn't talk much, so don't take it personally. He mostly works with the bigger critters."

Adjusting their grip on the frame, Hanji continues talking about their coworkers, whom they seem to care about quite a bit. "This is Petra, and she's a sweetie, so be nice to her or we'll all kick your asses. She helps train the volunteers mostly, but helps me with fundraising too."

Hanji points to the last figure, their eyes taking on a slightly mischievous glint. "Last but not least, this grumpy dwarf is Levi. You'll be spending _lots_ of time with him. Think of him as... a supervisor, of sorts."

With a wink, Hanji tells them to get their butts in bed; they'll be waking up at the ass-crack of dawn tomorrow, so no one argues. 

\---

After quite literally wrestling with Jean over one of the bathrooms, and winning (obviously), Eren slips on his pajamas and perches on the foot of his bed. The sky, as clear as it was during the day, is a rich, dark blue. The moon casts shadows all around Eren's room, some so large he feels he's being sucked in. Like a black hole, or that dark matter shit. Mikasa would know what he's talking about. 

With that thought, Eren stands up and makes his way over to her room, an eye out for any blind horses along the way. He sees none. 

He kicks the door gently a couple times, receiving a muffled grunt in response. Good enough.

Armin is lying on the carpeted floor. Eren flops down on the bed beside Mikasa, who barely spares him a glance before grabbing a pillow and attempting to smother him. Armin, still lying on his back, pumps his fist in the air, quietly chanting "Blood! Blood! Blood!". The room fills with giggles and shouted obscenities until all three tire, settling on the floor. They don't say anything for a while, content to just sit and enjoy each other's presence. This is what home feels like for Eren.

Eventually, Mikasa pokes Eren's cheek to get his attention. She huffs, standing up. "Go to sleep, both of you." 

Eren ignores her request, deciding to run his mouth, as per usual. "Jean thinks you're pretty."

He smirks when Mikasa narrows her eyes, nudging him with her foot. 

"Want me to punch him?" Armin asks, demonstrating his boxing skills on a dejected looking pillow.

Eren snorts, propping himself up on his knees. "His thick horse-skull would break your puny hand, Armin."

"Worth it," Armin responds, punching that fucking pillow again.

Mikasa clears her throat and crosses her arms over her chest, looking effectively unimpressed with this conversation. "How about I punch everyone and you two go to bed?"

"If you punched Jean I don't think he'd ever wash his face again," Eren mutters, grimacing a bit at the thought.

Armin suddenly sits up straight, eyes wide, as if he's just come to some great conclusion. Turning to Eren, he says in a low voice, "You can't wash your face if you're dead."

"Wow", is all Mikasa can say, face as expressionless as ever. Eren lightly tugs on a strand of Armin's golden hair, a fond smile tugging at his lips. "You used to be so wholesome, Armin."

"And you used to talk less, but I guess good things never last," Armin retorts, looking positively pleased with himself. Eren feigns offence.

Mikasa grabs two pillows from her bed and throws them at her friends. "You're both annoying, get out."

Eren finally complies, crawling toward the doorway. Armin lies motionless on the floor once more, pillow covering his face. As Eren stands, he turns around and leans on the door frame, smiling. "Love you guys."

Armin responds "That's gay", somewhat muffled by the pillow, just as Mikasa responds with a simple "Die". Eren really does love his friends and their horrible attitudes.

As Armin stands, Eren blows his best friends a kiss, throwing his entire body into the action. Armin reaches into the air, grabs the invisible kiss, and looks at it. He then throws it on the ground and steps on it, grin widening. Eren wouldn't have expected anything less, and a warm, bubbly feeling fills his chest. 

Mikasa's face softens, just marginally, and she sighs. "G'night dipshits."

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it! Chapter numero uno.  
> I know the dynamic between Erin, Armin, and Mikasa may seem a bit harsh, but I guess I'm just sorta writing their friendship like I would write mine. This is how my friends and I talk to eachother, but it's all with *love* and *fondness*.  
> Also Armin is a fuckin savage how did that happen
> 
> ANYWAYS LEVI WILL APPEAR IN CHAPTER 2 I SWEAR


	2. Won't You Be My Friend?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah hello!  
> So I'm surprised even, like, two people have read this so far, so thank u.  
> I will try to update as much as possible, but my job can be unpredictable so,,,,,yeah
> 
> Anyways, here it is! Chapter 2, with an equally stupid title and premise. But at least stuff actually happens this time, so baby steps I guess

Dreams are strange things. 

One moment you may feel like laughing, like your soul is soaring through the skies and the sun is swimming through your veins. Then, like a curtain dropped before a stage play, your eyelids are the heaviest they've ever been, and your knees are struggling to carry an immense weight sitting on your shoulders. You feel water rushing around your ankles, gluing your feet to the spot. Sometimes dark clouds fog your mind, and nothing real is real anymore.

These strange dreams are Eren's favourites. 

Rather than playing an active roll, he can simply let go. He can give up control, watching through his own eyes and someone else's simultaneously. These dreams are like surreal movies, and Eren knows he can't change their outcomes. It's the dreams he  _can_ control, the ones he sees through his own eyes only, the ones as clear as reality, that he truly hates.

It's in these dreams that he sees her. She's always happy and breathing, but also dead. He knows she's dead. Eren's mother has been dead for more than a decade, and he knows this, even in the midst of heavy sleep. It's painful seeing her beautiful face and steady pulse, knowing if he were to just reach out and touch, she'd turn to dust and slide through his fingers like sand. Eren wants nothing more than to feel her heart beating once more, just once. 

Dust doesn't have a heartbeat, though, and neither does she.

\---

The sky is a deep purple colour when Eren jolts out of sleep. Pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes, Eren swings his legs over the side of the mattress. The moon is hanging low and full in the sky, a smattering of constellations spreading above and beyond the borders of a cracked window frame. 

Glancing around the small room, Eren duly reminds himself that he is not, in fact, in his shabby shoe box of a dorm room at Trost; nor is he in the presence of his dead mother, or her sandy ashes. Sighing, he stands from his perch, curling his toes in the thick carpet. For a moment, Eren simply enjoys the popping and stretching of his tired joints. 

The moment ends promptly, followed by a peak through the dust-covered blinds adorning his window. Eren scrunches his nose at the sight of four unruly hounds below him, running and chasing each other up and down the long driveway. Movement to the right of the playing dogs catches his attention; a figure bounds down the porch stairs, brown ponytail bouncing with their steps.  _Hanji_. 

Eren supposed it was fitting, Hanji being awake and pumped at the ass-crack of dawn, rolling in the dirt with their dogs. Smiling a little, Eren turns from the window, feeling a little creepy watching such an oddly intimate moment shared between an owner and their dogs. 

The box springs scream as Eren flops down onto his mattress, burying his face in the mess of blankets. Within seconds, Eren's phone is also screaming at him, wailing the tune of an obscure song he'd found the night before. Figuring it was enough to, quite literally,  _scare_ him out of bed, he'd set it as his alarm. 

With a shudder, Eren smacks his phone off the bedside table.  _Wow, sharp work, dumbass._

Sustaining a bruised knee and a bad mood in the process, Eren manages turning off the heinous alarm promptly thereafter. 

\---

The other five interns seem to be in just as sour a mood as Eren. 

Waking up at 5 AM every morning to wash and prep equipment in the shelter will be, without a doubt, the  _realest bitch._  Especially since, to Eren's dismay, Jean is still alive and well. Listening to Jean's constant whining is about as torturous as a punch to the throat, if not more emotionally taxing. 

The really taxing part is resisting the urge to punch  _Jean_ in the throat. 

After sharing a breakfast of too hot oatmeal and toast, Eren and the others pull on their boots and get to work, alternating between tediously cleaning equipment and feeding the large birds wandering Hanji's property. 

Now, Eren loves birds. Always has. The sheer amount of unique sub-species and variants is astounding in itself, let alone the fact that they can fucking take to the sky and  _fly._ He just loves them, period. 

But these fucking birds. They're fat and they smell weird, for one. Eren can handle that, though; it all comes with the territory. What he can't handle is the sheer horror of attempting to hand-feed them. They're  _monsters._

The ducks and those peacock looking fuckers aren't too difficult, thankfully. It's the geese that instill the fear of God in the interns, Mikasa included. 

Eren can't stand within a damn meter of a goose without it hissing and fanning out its wings. Honestly, it's horrifying. At one point, as Reiner and Eren wandered behind the house in search of stray birds to toss seeds at, one of the larger geese came charging out of nowhere, hissing and honking like a fucking lunatic. Needless to say, Reiner and Eren felt no shame in dropping their seed bags and hauling ass out of there. 

Running from wayward birds is almost fun in comparison to equipment sanitation, though. 

The apparatus utilized inside and outside of the shelter is constantly in use, and therefore constantly in need of some hardcore sanitation. The cleaning process is banal at best, almost grueling in its repetition. 

Eren isn't surprised in the least at the soreness of his pruney hands after a mere twenty minutes of scrubbing. Judging by the pained expression Marco wears beside him, it seems the sentiment is shared. 

With the others either risking their lives to feed a bunch of bitchy birds or cleaning equipment in other rooms, Marco and Eren are alone in this particular ward. The room feels too large to be filled entirely by sounds of sloshing water and breathing. The heavy silence is stifling, and seems to stretch on for hours before Marco clears his throat. 

"So, wildlife biology. That...you like nature, then?" Marco grimaces at himself, and Eren smiles a little. Something about Marco's calm demeanor and patience with Jean makes Eren trust him, almost comfortable around him, so he decides to make things easy for the freckled boy. 

"Yeah, actually," Eren concedes. "It was...like a safe place for me, as a kid. A different world to lose myself in, I guess." Eren shrugs, biting his lip as he scrubs a particularly filthy bowl. Sharing with an almost-stranger isn't generally what Eren does, but he can't seem to feel his usual reluctance when speaking with Marco. 

Nodding, Marco grabs a weird contraption with several holes. As he lets the tap water cascade down its sides, Marco smiles and tilts his head toward Eren. 

"When I was seven, my dog disappeared," Marco starts, turning off the tap and dunking his equipment in soapy water. "There's this giant forest behind my house, back in Jinae. Pets always went missing in there; they'd just wander in and never leave. The locals think it's a cursed forest, something about a goat and Satanists - I don't really know.

"Anyway, my parents knew that Jake, my dog, was done for. He was a curious little guy, so they figured he'd gotten out one night and ran straight for the forest. They were right, obviously, but I wouldn't accept it."

Eren's not sure why Marco decided to tell him this story, but he listens intently nonetheless. Pausing his cleaning, Eren turns to face Marco fully, wiping his hands on a rag hanging from his pocket. Marco continues to scrub as he retells his story, smiling to himself. 

"For about a week I would sneak out of my house late at night. With a flashlight and a baseball bat, just in case." Eren smiles at this, imagining a small Marco in all his freckled glory, clutching a bat while crawling out of a window, determined to find his dog. 

When Marco pauses, Eren asks a question, already knowing the answer.

"Did you find him?" 

Marco shakes the water off his hands, smile unwavering. "Yeah, I did. He was dead, but I found him."

Eyebrows shooting up, Eren lets a quiet "oh" slip past his parted lips. He swallows, unsure of how to respond. Eren's never been good at comforting other humans, often making them feel worse. He stays silent, nervous sweat prickling on the back of his neck.  _Fuck, how do I respond to that???_

Just as Eren thought he might throw up all over the freshly washed equipment, Marco sighs. He's still smiling, though his eyes look considerably more wet than they had before this conversation started. 

"He was half-eaten when I came across his body. It...it smelled awful. I'd never smelled something as terrible as my rotting dog, and I still haven't to this day." Marco leans his back on the edge of the sink, folding his arms in the process.

Eren's arms feel heavy at his sides.

"I think I puked a couple times," he continues, unfazed by Eren's silence. Marco's smile turns bitter, almost angry. "First time I'd ever seen a vulture, and it was eating my puppy."

With that, the heavy silence returns. 

Several long moments later, Eren realizes why Marco would share such a personal story; a  _piece_ of himself, really.  _A story for a story, then._ Less of a trade, and more of an opportunity to share a piece if himself too, if he wants.  

Eren finds that, for the first time in a long time, he wants to. So he does.

"There was this park near the house I grew up in," Eren says, taking a deep breath before continuing. His arms are pure lead now, dragging his shoulders down until he's hunched over himself. "After my mom died, my father kinda...lost himself, I guess. He would stay in his room for days, only coming out to use the washroom or to get water.

"Sometimes I'd hear him crying behind the door. I felt so helpless, I just wanted it all to stop." Another deep breath. Eren shoves his hands in his pockets, straightening his posture. He stares at the floor, toeing at the dirt his mucked up boots had brought in.

"So," Eren continues. "When I'd hear him cry or shout, even when I got lonely, I'd walk to the park. I sat there for hours every day, just listening to the sounds. 

"I'd catch insects and draw them in the dirt with a stick, but I always let them go. I remember the first time I accidentally killed a beetle, I cried for an hour."

Marco's smile is warm and encouraging as Eren laughs at his younger self. The laugh is real and full, which is more than a little shocking.

Eren coughs, rubbing the back of his neck. His smile comes easily as he continues to recall his budding passion for nature. "Anyway, I always felt safe surrounded by nothing but the Earth in its entirety. Everywhere else, the ground felt like it would crack if I stepped to hard, but not out there. Not out here, either."

Cheeks reddening, Eren realizes the extent of what he's just admitted, and how it might not make sense to Marco.  _I must sound like an idiot. Or a vegan. Fuck._

Eyes fixed on his feet, Eren manages to find his voice again. "Does that make any sense?"

Marco shifts, catching Eren's gaze, and smiles so wide his eyes turn into hazel crescents. It's a genuine smile, and it sucks the tension from Eren's shoulders immediately. 

"It does, Eren. I get it." Marco says, scratching his scalp. "I mean, other than my crippling fear of bears, I totally get it."

Eren laughs loud and hard, the last of his apprehension leaving him in one massive wave. If it always feels this liberating, maybe he'll pour out his heart to almost-strangers more often.

\---

Around 6:45 that morning, Hanji orders the interns to sit on the porch and wait for Levi, their supervisor/trainer, to arrive. The sun is finally up and casting long shadows across the lawn, and Eren makes an effort to stand in the warm rays whenever he can. 

So, with Eren standing in front of the shelter, hands above his head enjoying the sun, and the others sitting on the porch, a comfortable silence settles. That is, until Jean opens his big mouth and destroys it. 

"Hey Jaeger, that bird shit on your jeans?"

Dropping his arms to his sides, a wry smile pulls at Eren's lips. 

"Yeah, I'm savin' it for later. Want some?"

Disgusted, Jean scoffs. "Um, ew. What the hel-"

A shout of laughter from Reiner cuts off Jean's ramblings, and for that Eren is thankful. He doesn't have enough energy for a verbal beating this morning. Maybe later. 

Marco sits up then, addressing no one in particular. "So, this Levi. Do you think he's as mean as he looks?"

Jean sits back on his heels and rolls his eyes. "Of course, Marco. All midgets are pissed at the world."

"I like short people," Reiner chimes in, a thoughtful expression gracing his fair features. "They remind me of my gramma's garden gnomes."

Eren laughs at that, hunching over himself and falling onto his side in the grass. There are various exclamations of "Reiner, what the hell?" and "That's fucked up," from the others, but Eren is laughing too hard to bother joining in. He's just tired, that's all.

Armin starts to say something, and is abruptly cut off by the obnoxious roar of an engine. Craning his neck from his spot on the grass, Eren watches a stark black car ascend the hill and park in front of the shelter. Propping himself up on his hands, Eren doesn't bother standing up. The grass is warm, and it feels nice on his legs.

As predicted, a short man - like, super short, holy shit - exits the car, carrying a backpack and wearing a tired look. Wisps of dark hair blow into his face, some strands sticking to his lips. The small man walks up to the group of interns, his face an impassive mask. Running a hand through his undercut, the man stares them down for at least thirty seconds. 

From his spot on the grass, Eren smiles, his tired mind finding this entire exchange, or lack thereof, incredibly entertaining. His grin earns him barely narrowed eyes in his direction, and that's all the indication he gets that the man, in fact,  _does_ have emotions. 

Jean clears his throat, and Eren inwardly groans. 

"Hey man, you our supervisor?"

With a scoff, Eren turns his attention to Jean. "No, it's fucking Prince." 

Eren can't help it; any chance to humiliate Jean cannot be wasted. He is physically unable to resist the temptation.

Glaring in his direction, Jean mumbles something resembling "asshole". Eren feels the most satisfaction he's felt in over 48 hours.

"Oh, really?" Armin perks up, latching onto the opportunity to make an ass out of himself. "I've always wanted to meet Prince."

Multiple groans and "shut up, Armin"s are thrown at him, seemingly bouncing off of his skin as his smile only widens. _Smartass._

"All of you, shut up," the short man, Levi, grits out. "Follow me."

He stalks into the shelter, strides surprisingly long. The interns, silent once again, do as he says.

\---

 Levi leads them into a large office to the right of the shelter's entrance. The office is cluttered, to say the least. With no name plate on the door or desk, Eren assumes it's a communal office of sorts. 

With an irritated grunt, Levi drops his bag on the desk, immediately falling into the chair behind it. Propping his black booted feet on the desk and crossing them at the heels, Levi runs his intense gaze over each intern once more. His glare turns most of them into fidgety messes, shuffling their feet and scratching their noses every five seconds. Mikasa looks dead inside, as always, but by the tense set of her shoulders, Eren can tell she's a bit uncomfortable. 

Eren, on the other hand, is far too exhausted to feel anything other then...well,  _exhaustion._  

Levi continues to study the group, absentmindedly picking at his dark pants. Eren notes his forest green shirt -a polo shirt, specifically - with the words "Stohess Wildlife Center" embroidered above the right breast pocket. Not too bad for a uniform, honestly. He was expecting some sort of full body suit, like a prisoner would wear, but instead of a hideous orange colour, it would be...hopefully any other colour. 

All at once, Levi's feet smack back onto the concrete floor as he stands.

"Alright, assholes," he starts, somewhat surprising the interns with his volatile language. Eren isn't surprised in the least; have they not seen this guy? He's like a walking rain cloud. 

Levi yanks a drawer open, pulling out a Ziploc bag and dumping its contents unceremoniously onto the desk. Throwing the bag behind him, Levi folds his arms across his broad (ish) chest and cocks his hip. "It's too early for me to try and memorize your names, and frankly, I don't give a shit."

Behind Eren, Jean whispers "Wow, rude."

Apparently he sucks at whispering, among other things, because Levi directs his glare toward Jean, bumping its intensity up to about three hundred fucking percent. 

"Shut up," Levi says, peering back down at the rectangular objects now littering the desk. "You're going to take a name tag, write your name on it, and then pin it to your fucking shirt."

Unfolding his arms, Levi points a finger at Jean. "You," he spits, and Eren already likes where this is going. He steps to the side of the crowd to observe, trying to conceal his smile behind a fist. "Run a brush through that-", Levi gestures at Jean's nest of hair. "-shit. I don't want the birds laying eggs in there."

Reiner, in a valiant attempt to conceal his laughter, clamps a large hand over his mouth and makes an odd noise, somewhere between a squeak and a cough. This, of course, makes Eren lose his shit. His giggles fill the room, as well as Marco's and Armin's, only serving to make him laugh harder.

"Oi," Levi warns, his voice dropping dangerously low. "Seriously, all of you need to stop making noise. It's giving me a fucking migraine."

Migrating back to the desk, Levi picks up the name tags, chucking one at each intern. Eren manages to stop wheezing just in time to catch the name tag flying toward his eyeball at breakneck speed.

"I'm going to give you a tour in a bit; don't touch anything. After that, Petra will walk you through some extra paperwork while you watch a mandatory safety video. Then, while you work through the WHMIS package-", everyone collectively groans at this; _fucking WHMIS_. 

Narrowing his eyes, Levi continues his spiel. 

"Wow, I'm sorry, I didn't know I was working with a bunch of teenagers; it's WHMIS, a fucking giraffe could pass it with more ease than you idiots, so suck it up. 

"As I was saying, during your WHMIS training, I'll be pulling you out in pairs to give you ward-specific training. Just the basics for today, don't shit your pants. You'll get your uniforms tomorrow"

Armin raises his hand when Levi finishes, and Eren rolls his eyes so hard he sees his fucking brain. 

With a sigh, Levi props his hands on his hips. "What do you want?"

"This paperwork," Armin starts, genuinely curious. "What's it for? It can't all be WHMIS."

Looking bored, Levi makes his way toward the office door, speaking as he walks. "It's just legal bullshit," he states, pausing in the doorway. "Long story short, if you get a disease, it's your own fault. Now make your name tags."

He turns to leave, calling over his shoulder - "Don't touch anything."

The interns are silent once he's gone. Eren smiles as he tosses his name tag in the air, catching it on its way down. "What a lovely man."

\---

Hanji's property stretches farther and wider than Eren had originally thought; it even extends a few miles into the dark forest behind the shelter. Littered with large cage-like structures and various steel contraptions, the grounds boast a sense of security. Other than the aforementioned man-made objects, Hanji's property appears natural and untainted by humanity's dirty fingers. 

Levi weaves through the foliage and cages with practiced ease, no step misplaced. He doesn't bother slowing down, his explanations clipped and impatient. After no less than five minutes of tripping through the shrubbery on Eren's part, Levi halts his trek up an incline a couple yards beyond the forest's edge. 

The sounds and smells of nature surround them, a soft breeze running its fingers through Eren's hair. He closes his eyes and breathes it all in.

"Listen up," Levi starts, tired eyes roaming the expanse of greenery above him. "I've seen plants grow faster than you lot walk, Jesus."

"I think I swallowed a wasp," Jean coughs, earning him a stern glare from Levi and a powerful smack to the back from Reiner.

Rubbing at his eyes, Levi sighs. "You see these stumps behind me? You're not to cross beyond them without direct permission from Mike or myself. Today, you'll get a peak, but that's it."

As the interns continue up the hill after Levi, Eren shares a curious glance with Armin, and then Mikasa, who only shrugs. 

The group reaches the hill's crest, albeit a little short of breathe. Well, all but Levi, who merely rolls his eyes as Jean collapses onto a fallen log. They're given no time to rest before a tall man approaches them, curtly nodding at Levi and eyeing the group. He wears a shirt identical to Levi's, save a bunch of dirt and grass stains spreading across the torso. _This must be Mike..._

"This is Mike," Levi confirms, turning to face the panting interns. "He works with the bigger animals recovering here. Most of them end up staying for a few weeks before we can safely release them again, and Mike's the one up-keeping their habitats and checking their vitals, blah, blah." 

Lifting his eyes to meet Mike's, Levi quirks an eyebrow. "Anything you want to add?"

Mike purses his lips. With a wave of his hand, he beckons the gathering to follow him farther into the forest. Mike's voice is so soft and low, Eren barely catches the words floating from his lips to the back of the group. 

"Currently, we have about six raccoons, two possums,-" he thinks for a moment before continuing. "-two foxes, a coyote, and a bunch of skunks."

In the distance, Eren can make out the distinct shapes of cages and man-made habitats, all taller than himself. Mike clears his throat, and to Eren's surprise, continues speaking. 

"These animals need to be released as soon as it's safe, so it's crucial we don't allow them any familiarization with the staff. We can't have them constantly coming back after they're released because an attachment to one of us was formed; it's not good for them, or the ecosystems they come from. That's why distance is so important."

Armin perks up, confusion creasing his eyebrows. "If you don't want them forming attachments, why are you the only one constantly working with them? Won't they remember you?"

Levi jumps in, shaking his head. "That's a common question, actually," he admits. "Mike only does what's necessary, like feeding, cleaning the habitats, and the occasional peak at healing injuries. He never gives them extra or special attention; it really is a quick in-and-out procedure. No one even hangs out around the cages for too long at one time. That answer your question?"

Armin simply nods, satisfied. 

"Any of them have rabies?" Jean asks, arms folded across his chest. Eren would love to be annoyed by such a blunt and stupid question coming from Jean, but he's actually curious himself, now that it's out there.

Pace slowing, Levi turns his head, presumably looking for Jean; he catches Eren's eye instead. Swallowing, Eren lifts his chin to peer through gaps between the foliage above. He blinks at the white light, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"It's a possibility," Mike cuts in. "Any one of our current residents could be carrying the virus without exhibiting any symptoms, and we wouldn't know it unless we tested them."

 Levi nods in agreement, scratching his chin. "Since we can't completely deny the possibility, it's best you keep your hands to yourselves. We'll do a quick walk through to sate your curiosity, but don't touch anything."

Sending a glare in Jean's direction, Levi continues. "Obviously don't touch the fucking animals; try not to make eye contact with them either, if you can. Don't touch the cages, don't touch the equipment, don't touch each other - shove your hands in your pants if you have to, I don't care."

Reiner snorts, doing just that.

"Don't make too much noise," Levi adds, voice quieting as they near the first cage. "They're stressed out enough as it is, so your annoying voices would probably send them into a frenzy."

Following Mike's lead, the group passes the first habitat, housing a couple possums. The cages are spacious and clean, but not too clean. They're multilevel, with ropes hanging from the ceilings and sticks littering the floors. They look cozy, at least.

The cages following the first carry a pair of bright orange foxes, some rather large skunks, and raccoons. The raccoons, in particular, have Eren clutching his heart, a pinched expression on his face. 

From beside him, Levi - _how long has he been there?? -_ quirks an eyebrow at Eren, softly asking, "What's your issue?"

Eren releases his heart, clearing his throat in the process. "They're really cute," he whispers, deciding to ignore his not-so-subtle voice crack. 

Levi simply nods in agreement, abnormally civil thus far, and continues walking beside Eren. 

The farthest cage, also the largest, houses a pacing coyote. Upon seeing the crowd, it approaches the bars nearest them and begins chewing on the rusty metal. 

"Why's it doing that? Levi! Levi, why's it eating the cage?" 

Huffing, Levi turns to face Jean at their heels, currently whisper-shouting for his attention. 

"I don't know,  _Jean,"_ he replies, voice as unnerving as it is calm. "Why don't you ask it?"

With a clenched jaw, Jean retreats to his place beside Marco. "I was just curious, jeez."

Eren smiles, deciding Levi isn't  _that_ bad.

\---

As they circle back, Levi and Mike share a parting nod, the interns shouting "thank you"s over their shoulders. The walk is comfortably quiet, nothing but birdsong and the crunching of dirt under their boots to fill the silence.

With the shelter in view and the forest's edge mere paces away, Jean abruptly stops. Eren walks into his back, grumbling and shoving Jean's shoulder. 

Then Jean shrieks.  _He fucking shrieks._ It would be absolutely hilarious if not for the shock of it, as well as the terror brewing in Eren's gut as he wonders what could possibly tear a sound like that out of someone's throat.

A quick glance at the others reveals wide eyes and dropped jaws, all zeroed in on Jean's torso. Being directly behind the idiot, Eren is unsure of what's grabbed everyone's, even Levi's, shocked attention.

He's unsure if he wants to know at all.

Swallowing the thick terror clawing at his throat, Eren rounds a whimpering Jean, coming face to face with -  _oh._

The tension dissipates almost instantly at the sight before his eyes. Expecting a giant tick, or some weird leech-hybrid, Eren's eyes widen in wonder at the beautifully large spider perched above Jean's bellybutton. More accurately, the spider clinging for it's life while Jean shakes and shudders beneath it's fuzzy appendages. 

It's at least the size of Eren's palm, a light brown stripe running down it's head and faint stripes lining each leg. Recalling his insect catching days, Eren is able to classify the creature with ease.

The others gasp as Eren extends a hand, resting it on Jean's chest palm-up. With his other, he gently taps the spider's back, nudging it forward onto his flattened palm. 

Gently lifting the spider from Jean's stomach, Eren brings it close to his face. He's not sure how long he stands there studying the spider before a twig snaps, breaking Eren from his trance.

Jean is lying in the dirt, eyes firmly closed. The other interns have approached Eren, staring at the spider with mixed expressions of horror and curiosity. Levi's nose is scrunched up, but he watches the creature cradled in Eren's palm all the same. 

"Wolf spider," is all Eren says, a fond smile tugging at his lips as it begins a slow crawl up his forearm. He accommodates by re-angling his arm, shivering at the sensation of multiple legs dancing across his skin. 

"Oh my god," Jean moans from the dirt, rolling onto his stomach. "I think I just had an aneurysm. What. What the fuck." 

Marco laughs, crouching to pat his friend on the back. 

"Dude...that's a big spider," Reiner adds, clearly at a loss for words. 

"If it bites you and you can shoot sticky webs from your wrists, can you glue me to a wall," Armin asks, throwing up his arms in lousy demonstration of getting _glued to a wall_. "Please?"

"Don't forget to glue his mouth shut, too," Mikasa supplies; Armin squawks in protest, swatting her arm.

Levi turns around and ambles toward the shelter. "Come on, children," he calls back, unaffected. 

Neglecting to put the spider down, Eren follows the others out of the woods and into the sun, now hanging heavy and strong in the sky. It cuts through the mid-morning chill like a knife, pleasant rays warming Eren's scalp. 

When the others have disappeared behind the back doors of the shelter, Eren squats down, placing the spider in a sunny patch of grass and watching it pick it's way back to the forest. Feeling eyes on his back, Eren turns to face the shelter once more, finding Levi's grey stare fixed on his face. 

He's leaning against the wall, ankles crossed and arms folded; his default look of disinterest is replaced by another quirked eyebrow. He almost looks amused.

"If you like bugs so much, there's an ongoing ant problem in the shelter I'd be  _delighted_ if you could fix for me," he says, tilting his head up to stare at the sky. 

Eren lets a bored expression school his features, stuffing his hands back into his pockets. Making to breeze past Levi, he mumbles "Spiders aren't bugs."

Levi responds with a grunt, and as Eren pushes open the shelter door, pulls out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. This doesn't surprise Eren in the least, and he smells the first puffs of nicotine filling the air as the door closes. Following the sound of Jean's whining through the halls, Eren makes his way to the makeshift classroom.

Time for some good ol' WHMIS training.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If ur curious as to which spooky tune Eren set as his alarm, it's this one:
> 
> https://youtu.be/T3rXdeOvhNE
> 
> ;);)
> 
> Also, I shuddered so much when writing the spider scene, like, I find spiders super interesting, but I'm super afraid of them. I had to look "Wolf spider" up on google images and I almost fell out of my chair I stg


End file.
